A Cause for Concern :: By Daymond Duck

First, concerning the approaching Tribulation Period, God also said, “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” (Obad. 1:15).

Notice, that God is talking about the Tribulation Period coming upon all the heathen (lost Gentiles, not Christians; think pre-Trib Rapture) and He is saying, “What they have done to Israel, will be done to them.”

The attitude of the lost toward Israel will pre-determine their own judgment.

Second, concerning Jerusalem, God said, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zech. 12:3).

Notice, that God said He will use Jerusalem at the end of the age to test the nations and to let them decide whose side they are on.

Nations can avoid God’s judgment by leaving Jerusalem alone.

Third, concerning the end of the age, God said, “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem (after I return the captured Jews to the Promised Land and restore Judah and Jerusalem), I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat (for the Battle of Armageddon), and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Joel 3:1-2).

Thus, we see that the Battle of Armageddon will be the result of two things: 1) World leaders removing Jews from part of the Promised Land after God has put them back on it, and 2) Dividing the Promised Land (the two-state solution).

Fourth, concerning the beginning of the Tribulation Period, God said, “And he (the Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (a week of years or seven years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:27).

Thus, we see that a proposal for seven years of peace in Israel will eventually be presented to the Antichrist for his signature; and on the day that he signs it, the Tribulation Period will begin.

Fifth, God said, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (I Thess. 5:1-2).

When the Antichrist signs the proposal, they (the unbelievers) will say “Peace and Safety,” but the judgments of God will immediately start falling, and they (the unbelievers) will not escape (think Pre-Trib Rapture again).

This is the point: About one week ago, Pres. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his Middle East Envoy, Jason Greenblatt, recently spent several days in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar.

They met with Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu twice in two days, and he went to meet with King Abdullah in Jordan.

The purpose of these meetings was to finalize some of the issues in Pres. Trump’s Middle East peace proposal including what to do about Jerusalem (the burdensome stone) and where to locate the borders (There was no mention of a division of Israel in the media, but “where to locate the borders” is not without meaning).

The Arab leaders unanimously agreed to support Pres. Trump’s peace proposal even if PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas refuses to do so, as long as the Palestinians have a nation of their own with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Some reports said Mr. Kushner agreed to that, and he is also mindful of the fact that the Arabs want the Al Aqsa Mosque to remain open to all Muslims that want to worship there (this could result in the rebuilt Temple not having an outer court).

One cause of concern for this writer is the fact that Jared Kushner said Israel will have to pay a price for Pres. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

A second cause of concern is that God has clearly warned everyone not to divide Jerusalem. That includes Pres. Trump and the U.S.

A third cause of concern is the kind of concessions that Mr. Kushner may offer to prove to Mr. Abbas and the Arabs that he is a neutral negotiator.

A fourth cause of concern is that Mr. Abbas may be so angry over the fact that he was bypassed, even by the Arabs for his refusal to negotiate, that he will ask Russia, Turkey, Iran and others to help him to seize what he wants in a war.

That war could be the prophesied Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38-39).

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By God’s grace, Daymond Duck is a graduate of the Univ. of TN in Knoxville, TN, the founder and president of Prophecy Plus Ministries, the best-selling author of a shelf full of books (three have been published in foreign languages), a member of the prestigious Pre-Trib Study Group, a conference speaker, and a writer for raptureready.com. He is a retired United Methodist pastor, has made more than 300 TV appearances and has been a member of the Baptist Church in his home town since 2006.

Daymond Duck is an internationally recognized authority on End Times Prophecy and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.